Trouble in New Salem
by elenastarkiller
Summary: There's a new kid in New Salem, but he's not normal according to Cassie. Who is this death omen? Please R&R! Cassie/OC!
1. Bad Feelings

(Cassie POV)

A new day. I woke up feeling reenergized. We had beaten Black John, become a happy coven, and got our school privileges back. Now everything was normal. Well, as normal as a witch's life could be.

Adam picked me up at around 8 for school. We were soulmates, and nothing could ever separate us. I know, cheesy, but that's the truth. We kissed and then sped down Crowhaven Road towards New Salem High School.

When we arrived, I saw Faye, Deborah, and Suzan pointing at one of the outsiders. He looked new to me. I was probably wrong, though, because I didn't really pay attention to outsiders. But the guy _was_ actually cute.

I could tell Suzan and Faye thought he was more than just cute, but I hoped they wouldn't take advantage of the poor guy already.

Adam was apparently thinking the same thing, because he walked right towards the boy, leaving me behind. I quickly hurried to catch up.

"Hi," he said. "My name's Adam. You must be new here."

The outsider looked confused. "Uh, yeah," he replied. Then he shook Adam's hand almost as if coming out of a trance. "Darian," he said.

I introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Cassie." For some reason my body was stiffening, and I didn't know why. "I'm Adam's girlfriend." I smiled at Darian.

I shook Darian's hand, and then instantly pulled away. As soon as I had touched him, I got a horrible feeling. Everything felt cold, and a sort of darkness was all around me. I realized what it was. Death.

I had to get away. I made an excuse to leave the two boys. "Hey, Adam, I…gotta go see Diana about something." Then I turned and called "See you later!" as I walked away.

I started thinking. What was wrong with that outsider? Why did I feel like that when I touched him? I had to tell the others.

Even though it was just an excuse, I ended up going to Diana's locker anyways. As soon as she saw me, she knew something was wrong. She didn't even close her locker as she raced towards me. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I think it's worth the whole Circle hearing," I replied.

Instantly she became even more concerned. "It must have been pretty horrible," she said nervously. Then she realized the lack of male input. "Where's Adam?"

"He's helping the new kid-Darian." I must have been obvious about my feelings for Darian, because Diana quickly changed the subject. "Let's go to class," she told me. We walked arm in arm towards the English department.

When we got there, Adam was already sitting. And who was he talking to? Yep, the infamous new kid Darian. I saw that Adam had saved two seats next to him for me and Diana, though, so I quickly took mine without glancing at the new kid.

Adam was about to ask me what was wrong when our class started. Mr. Gilmer started a lecture about the importance of Shakespeare.

While in my own little world of worry, I felt a buzzing in my pocket. New text. I checked it indiscreetly because I knew Mr. Gilmer couldn't stop me. One of the perks of being part of the Circle.

HOT GUY STARING AT YOU. From Faye. Well that wasn't good. I turned around, and Darian was staring right at me. Dang it.

I texted back I DON'T CARE. TAKE HIM. Shouldn't Faye know I only wanted Adam?

After I sent it though, I regretted it. Even though I knew Faye was perfectly capable of handling herself, I didn't want anyone I cared about near the boy who was a death omen. Apparently, even after everything she had done to me, she was on that list.

Therefore I sent out another text, but this time to the whole Circle.

CLUB MEETING. LUNCH.

* * *

"Why is there a club meeting?" Faye asked. "I want to seduce that new guy." She raised her eyebrows up and down like she was keeping in a secret.

"Actually, that's why we're here," I replied cautiously.

Sean was the last to arrive. Diana started to speak once everyone had settled.

"Today this meeting was called by Cassie, our third leader and youngest member. So, without further ado, Cassie?" Diana was too formal.

I took a deep breath and then stood up. "Ok, so the new guy, uh, Darian? Well, Adam and I introduced ourselves this morning, and, well, I shook his hand and I got a really bad feeling. I mean like extremely bad. So I was wondering if you guys noticed anything about him today?" I felt like an idiot. How did I even know I felt something. _Because you're a witch, _my head told me. _You know._

Everyone in the Circle denied feeling anything odd about him, though. Faye smirked. "Are you sure you felt something, Cassie?" she mocked, plunging me back to my doubtful position. But I knew what I had felt.

"I'm sure. It was-" I stopped.

""What was it, Cassie?" Adam reassured me. Diana gave me a friendly smile. I then knew I could tell because they would always be there for me.

"It was Death," I finally finished. "It was what I believe Death is." I shuddered. Death was not pleasant in my mind.

Instantaneously, Diana moved towards me and gave me a hug. I embraced it, and felt Adam put his hand on my shoulder. Then I let go, and we all returned to being formal. Well, as formal as we usually were.

"So what are we gonna do about it?" Chris Henderson asked.

"I think we should just ignore him as much as possible," Diana claimed. "Also, when we're not in school, we should have a scout who watches him. Any volunteers?" The Henderson brothers raised their hands. "Alright then." Diana smiled.

"I have another idea," Faye inserted. Her tones and facial expressions did not soothe me. "What ifone of us," she looked at me, "got to know him better? What if that girl got so involved with him he told her his deepest, darkest secret?"

This was not good. I could see the wheels turning in most of the Circle members' heads as they contemplated Faye's idea.

But Diana contradicted. "That's not safe, Faye. And who would be able to pull that off?"

Faye looked at me again. Even with all the pride I had gained since moving here, I still whimpered.

"No. I won't have it," Adam argued angrily. "Plus, she's dating _me_." His face started getting red. "That's not going to work, Faye!"

"Let's put it to a vote, shall we?" Faye smirked. "All in favor of Cassie manipulating New Guy, say 'I'."

"I," said Deborah.

"I," stated Suzan.

"I," called the Hendersons.

"I", smiled Faye.

"I," whispered Sean. I noticed he only said it after Faye stared him down, though.

That was six. One more, and-

"I," said Laurel. I looked at her in disbelief. "It's the best way," she explained. "I'm sorry, Cassie."

"It's done," Faye smiled mischievously. I had never seen her so smug in my life. "Darian and Cassie, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

This would not be fun.


	2. Bad Feelings Part 2

**A/N: this is chapter 1 part b...i just didn't wanna get the perspectives mixed up. Enjoy, and chapter 2 will be up soon! :)**

(Darian POV)

My first day of school and I'd already been compromised. I sighed. This game wasn't fun or easy, but it was necessary that I played. I didn't know why. I just knew that I was drawn to _her_, the girl who had repelled me even since that first hand shake. Her Power had brought me here, I knew that now. But to be able to sense me by a slight touch? That was incredible, something I hadn't seen someone do since 1860.

Now I was overhearing her telling the others of her premonition. Then I heard their reckless plan. I was scared now, but not for myself. For the girl. Cassie. What if I hurt her? I would have to stay away.

But I couldn't control my hunter instincts. _You know you want it, _they told me. _She would be delicious, and the _Power_!_

I could feel my fangs starting to protrude, and I ran for the bathroom.

I had to stay away from her.


	3. Stage 1: The Breakup

**Disclaimer: I do not own Romeo and Juliet in any way. Just to get the story rolling :) Enjoy!**

(Cassie POV)

"What do you mean, you're breaking up with me?" I yelled at Adam. We were in the school locker hall, which means a crowd had gathered to watch us, including the infamous Darian.

"Yeah. I would've told you sooner, Cass, but I was scared of, well, _this_."

"You should be scared!" I cried. "You're a manipulative little liar. I never want to see you again, you _bastard!_" I stormed off, looking to make sure Darian was still there. He was.

It was the day after final planning. Even though I really didn't want to do this, the Circle had voted giving me no choice. Faye, Adam, Diana, and I had gone over the plan last night. Even though I knew the break-up was just an act, it still hurt. What if it was real, and Adam really did hate me? I knew I shouldn't be thinking that way. Adam loved me, and I loved him back. We were soulmates. So I pushed the thought out of my head. Time to act.

I was late for Mr. Gilmer's class. The only seat left was next to Darian. I supposed Diana had made sure of this for me. I took my seat without glancing at Adam.

"Hi," I said to Darian.

"Hi," he responded quickly. He didn't even glance at me.

"So," I started, trying to make conversation, "what did I miss so far?"

"Not much. He just took attendance, and he'll probably give us another lecture on Shakespeare." His posture was extremely stiff, as if he didn't want to be near me. I knew I had to change that, but I wasn't sure how. Then the perfect opportunity came.

"Miss Blake, Mr. Crespi, since you're both paying so much attention to what I'm saying, why don't you come up here and act out a scene from _Romeo and Juliet_?"

Instantly, dread flooded Darian's face. It was as if he knew something would go wrong and he couldn't stop it. But we both had no choice.

I had mixed feelings. I knew this would definitely help the plan, but could I pull it off? I wasn't sure.

Mr. Gilmer gave us the scripts. The balcony scene. Great.

I had to start off, since Mr. Gilmer cut off Romeo's first monologue. "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" I spoke with emotion I did not feel. The way I got through it was imagining it was Adam I was acting with, not Darian. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thy wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet."

I had the majority of the speaking for a while, and Darian didn't put much effort into his performance. But then his first real speaking part came, and no one in the room could deny the compelling way he spoke his piece.

"By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word." His voice was like soft velvet as he professed his love to Juliet. I had never heard anything like it. If I hadn't touched his hand that first day, I would be completely sprung over this boy with the sexiest voice known to man.

Mr. Gilmer stopped us there. "Bravo!" he clapped. "Great performance, kids. Can we give them a round of applause?" The classroom gave us dull applause. I saw Faye smirking in the back of the class at me. Then I realized she had set the Shakespeare thing up. I gave her the worst glare I could manage, but I knew she wasn't perturbed.

Then I saw Adam's face. He was shocked. I hoped it was because he didn't know I could act.

Thankfully, the bell rang then, and I could turn my attention to Darian. "Hey, do you wanna hang out during break?" I asked him flirtingly.

"Uh, no, I need to…do stuff," he answered. Then he ran quickly out of the classroom, leaving me alone and back to where I had started.


	4. Plan B

**A/N: Thanks sooo much for all the reviews, favorites, and story alert subscriptions! Sorry I haven't been updating (Lord of the Flies sucks!) but I'm going to try harder now that I have a sense of where the story is going. Thank you all for reading my fanfic and enjoy!**

During break, Laurel and Melanie raced to me for news. "How'd it go?" Melanie asked. "On a scale of 1-10? Faye told us about the Shakespeare."

I sighed. "One," I replied sadly.

"What?" asked Laurel incredulously. "Faye said you guys had chemistry, and-"

"Apparently he's a good actor," I answered back. "I asked him after if he wanted to hang at break, but he literally ran away from me. It's like he's going out of his way to avoid me. I don't get it. I mean, I 'broke up' with Adam." I sighed. "I told you guys he wouldn't go for me."

While I was explaining, all the other Circle members except for Adam and Diana had joined our conversation. I knew the two were avoiding me on purpose so it would look like they were back together. I loved Diana, but I couldn't help but feel jealous that she got to spend time with him in public while I had to act like I hated him.

"So what's the lowdown?" the Henderson brothers asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said shyly.

"What?" Faye smirked. "I gave you _Shakespeare, _and he still doesn't like you yet? What's wrong with you? I would have had him seduced by now."

"If you're so good at it, why don't you do it, Faye?" I retorted. "You were the one who made me do it in the first place, you know."

"Because you have such an innocent vibe that comes off you. You're a goody two-shoes, and we all know it. If I did it, people could tell him that I was only using him for sex or something. They can't do that with you. So you're stuck playing crush, Cassie, sorry."

"Fine," I said angrily. I knew that she was right. I had to be the one to do it, because Faye was too notorious and Diana could not lie to save her life. The others weren't strong enough to handle it. I had to do this alone.

"So what are you gonna do to get back into his good graces?" Laurel asked.

"I think I'll go talk to him at lunch and see what happens." I smiled. The bell rang right after. "See you later, guys!" I called. But when Faye tried to leave, I held her back.

"What do you want, Cassie?" she asked impatiently.

"I was wondering if you knew any…lust spells?" I questioned nervously. I knew if anyone could do a lust spell, it was Faye.

"Ooh, goody two-shoes is getting down and dirty, huh?" Faye smiled at me mischievously.

"Yeah, I guess. I think it might be the only way." I sighed. Was this the right thing to do? Then I recalled that feeling of death that he had given me, and I knew I was making the right decision.

"Alright then, I know a couple…" Faye lost her sentence as she contemplated her knowledge. "I think we're gonna need a strong lust spell if he's some sort of supernatural entity though. Which I can do," she smirked confidently.

"Okay, then," I replied. "Because I'm gonna need one." I felt horrible. I knew lust spells were leaning towards dark magic. However, I needed to know if Darian was dangerous and seduction was one of my only options.

"Come to my house after dark," Faye told me. "We'll have to do it at midnight."

"I'll be there," I smiled back. With that, we went our separate ways towards our classes.

* * *

"Alright, so you need two red candles," Faye instructed. "And a ring with your stone in it." She laid out the necessary items on her bed. "The ring has to be placed in the moonlight just right…." She carefully positioned the ring where the moonlight hit the stone directly. "There." Then she gave me the matches. "Light the candles," she ordered.

Once the candles were lit, she gave me a piece of paper with a bunch of words in the 'witch' language. "Just say them," she told me. "Keep a rhythm while you say them, and say them loud. Oh, and while you say them, think only of Darian."

So I did. "Exhalon kwandis aron eris conai pobero wecha foi ason." I repeated that three times, and slowly I began to understand the words. _Bind this ring with lust power of man._ It was a rough translation, but I knew that it was close enough.

"It's done," Faye said seriously. "Did you only think of him?" she inquired.

"Yeah," I replied. I exhaled. "You sure it worked?"

"Hopefully. The ring carries the power, so you're gonna wanna wear that while you're around him. I'll make sure you get a seat next to him in English tomorrow," she reassured me. "The proximity should do it." She smiled at me. "I'm so proud of you, Cassie," she sighed. "You're becoming almost as evil as me."

Then she ushered me out of her house and I went home, clutching the ring in my hand.


	5. Arianna

Darian Crespi Perspective

_Cassie, Cassie, Cassie…dead at your hands. _I woke with a start. Was it all a dream? I glanced around my room, seeing that nothing had been touched since I had gone to sleep, from my antique childhood objects to the new Mac computer I had just bought two days ago. I looked at the clock. 5:30. _I guess I can get up_, I thought. I just had a really bad feeling about today.

I felt a familiar burning sensation in my jaw. Time to eat. I put on my clothes for the day and opened my drawer. I picked one of the bags out and started to drink.

"Hello, Darian." Instantly, I dropped the bag and had the intruder in a chokehold on the bed. Then I stared at _her,_ her enticing beauty making me release my grasp.

"Arianna," I sighed. Arianna Arca was the most beautiful girl I had ever met. Although by now you couldn't really call her "girl," because of what we are, her perfect porcelain skin, big hazel eyes, and straight white teeth were still the same as they were 400 years ago.

"Miss me?" she asked cockily. Then she pulled me down for a kiss. The kiss was heated and reminded me of the good old days when we were still human and innocent. Then I remembered what Arianna was now, how cruel and evil she had become, and I forced myself to pull away from her embrace.

"No," I replied. I knew I could not let this happen again. "Have you killed around here yet? Anything I should be aware of?" I looked at her sternly.

"Well I found a toy…but I haven't killed him yet. He's compelled not to know what's happening, trust me," she reassured me. It didn't soothe me though.

"Arianna…" I cautioned. However, I knew that even if she had killed the boy, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. She was way more powerful than me.

"So," she started, "I'm trying out high school again. I want to be closer to you." She got off the bed and started to make her way around the room, touching everything in sight and smelling the candles.

"I doubt that," I retorted. "What's your real goal, Arianna?"

She laughed. "You got me," she giggled. "I want to know more about witchcraft, and since these kids are the last ones left…" She stopped moving. "Though it seems like you have a head start."

"They're trying to find out what I am by having the youngest one seduce me. It's awful."

"It's _perfect,_" she purred. "You should learn everything you can from her, let her confide in you, and when she thinks she's about to find out your "secret", you go far far away. I can't believe you're not taking the chance."

"It's because I'm not you, Arianna. I just…I can't take advantage of her like that."

"Well since I have something to gain from you doing it…do it or I'll kill her," she replied nonchalantly.

"What?" I couldn't believe this. "Are you seriously playing this game with me?"  
"Do you doubt my ability to kill her? Because I'll kill one of her friends to prove you wrong…." She smiled slyly. I knew that she was serious but…_Cassie. Dead at your hands. _The dream flooded my mind. And I knew it wasn't the fact that I would kill her. It was the fact that if I didn't go for her, Arianna would, and it would be my fault.

"Fine," I uttered. "I'll do it."

She clapped her hands together. "Excellent. I'll see you at school, Darian." She kissed my cheek softly, and then she was gone.

What was I getting into?


	6. New Developments

CPOV

I drove to school the next day with an adrenaline rush. The ring had given me newfound self assurance, and I knew I could get Darian if I wanted him. Getting out of the car, I saw people staring, even though I looked the same as usual. Seeing Faye walking up to the main doors, I caught up to her.

"Hey," I said with a smile.

"Hi goody two-shoes…." Faye kept walking to her locker. I followed. "You ready for today?"

I nodded. "As ready as I can be."

"Well the ring will make up for your lack of confidence." She opened her locker. "I already got you a seat next to him."

"Thank you. I'll leave you alone now."

"That would be appreciated. Bye, Cassie."

I walked away from Faye, already worried about what was going to happen. At my locker, I thought of everything that could go wrong. Probably not the best idea, but I couldn't help it.

Adam and Diana passed me, and I felt his warm eyes on my back. _Don't look, Cass_, I thought. But I couldn't help it. I turned around and saw them together. The ring on my finger kicked in, and I waved at Adam flirtingly. Diana's eyes widened. Adam smiled back. But they kept walking away. I sighed. I missed Adam so much…we were soulmates, after all. However, I had to keep going. I had already sacrificed so much, and I couldn't afford to let it all go down the drain.

When I walked into English, I saw that Darian was already there. My mouth dropped. He looked extremely sexy in all black. Was he doing this on purpose?

I took my seat next to him, the ring once again giving me power. He smiled lazily at me.

"Hello, Cassie." He stared deep into my eyes. I couldn't help but internally swoon.

"Umm…" the ring began to help, "hey." I smiled back in what I thought to be a sexy way, but in my head I knew it was probably awful. He still seemed to be affected by it though, since he took my hand softly and started massaging it. I looked up at him. "What are you…?" A playful smile was on my face.

"Would you like to do something this evening? Perhaps dinner?" He smiled at me, and my heart raced again. I thought I was the one with the spell….

I nodded. "I would love to." I kept smiling at him, hoping I wasn't blowing it.

DPOV

The next day, I walked into school with a sense of dread. I knew what I had to do, for Arianna had made it clear. But that didn't mean I wanted to.

There was some part of me that craved for the little witch, hungry to taste the Power in her blood. She was the best of them, after all. But until now, I had kept my brain thinking through it, resisting her day by day.

That was all about to change. I had worn clothes that usually had girls swooning, and I put on my best charming face. Many girls walked up to me that morning, but I simply dodged them. Not hard when you're like me.

I sat down in English and waited for her. I knew she'd sit next to me.

However, I didn't expect to be lustful for her. As soon as she sat down beside me, I felt the need to take her now. The other students didn't matter, just her. Cassie. I could kill them all and take her as my queen. It would just take…_No._ I halted my thinking and noticed she was attracted to me, too. I used that.

"Hello, Cassie." I stared into her beautiful eyes, wanting to…_kiss_? I had never wanted to do that to a human before…it was always bite, or eat, or drain life from, or suck dry. Not kiss.

"Umm…" she said. I noticed her temporary weakness for me. Then she found her confidence and continued. "Hey." She smiled at me, and I couldn't help but want to kiss her everywhere. I hadn't felt this way in so long…. I took Cassie's hand and began to massage it, wanting to kiss it so much. But I resisted.

"What are you…?" she smiled playfully at me, a sign that she wanted me to continue. All the Circle's and Arianna's plans had completely escaped me. I just wanted her.

"Would you like to do something this evening? Perhaps dinner?" I smiled at her, using all the charm I could muster. I had to have her.

She smiled back at me and nodded. "I would love to." Success.

Then a "new" face popped into the classroom. My eyes widened. "Arianna," I murmured.

Cassie looked up. "She must be new…."

I nodded. "I believe she is." I had thought Cassie was alluring. Now, my body was drawn to my old flame, craving her. Maybe if I told her we were on track…she'd let me…I smiled at her. She noticed, and curtly returned the smile, sitting down next to the witch boy Adam.

"Do you know her?" Cassie asked me.

I shook my head. "No," I replied. "I don't." My first lie of many.

"Oh," she replied quietly.

Just then, my phone buzzed. I took it out quietly.

_ Don't screw this up. -A_


	7. Anticipation

**AN: so basically my academic life takes over everything else...and I've been writing tons of screenplays for my video production class so I'm kind of writers burned out. I am so sorry that I barely update this but it takes a lot for me to get writing. I hope you like this and hopefully I can update soon!**

DPOV

Getting ready was a pain in the ass. I had no idea what to wear for her. I tried on basically everything I owned, one by one, but nothing was perfect. After deciding against yet another outfit, I stood looking at my half naked self in my mirror.

"That look suits you," Arianna said behind me. I jumped.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," I snapped.

She giggled. "Sorry. It's a habit." She drank my undressed body in, looking me up and down hungrily.

I snapped again. "Wanna help me out here?" Instantly, her eyes stopped wandering and looked directly into mine. "Since I'm doing this whole ruse for you," I quietly added.

"Fine." She walked past me into my closet, intentionally bumping into me on the way. I couldn't help but stare at how short her skirt was as she sauntered away. "But we both know this isn't just for me," she taunted.

I sighed. "Just because she's…moderately attractive does not mean I want her, Arianna."

"Oh?" She turned to face me. "Then what-" she paused. "_Who _do you want?"

"I want you out of my life," I told her simply. I gave her a cold stare, but she saw right past it.

Laughing at me, she mocked, "Sure you do, Darian. Sure…." She held up an outfit. "This."

I grabbed it from her and tried it on. "This isn't good enough."

"You look sexy in it. It's perfect." She gave me a smile, trying to be seductive. Unfortunately, it was working. I couldn't let her get to me.

"You can leave now," I said harshly.

She merely rolled her eyes. "When did you get so mean, darling?" I cringed at the pet name she used, the one that used to mean the world to me.

"When I figured out what a manipulative, slutty bitch you were," I got out. "Now leave."

She pouted. I had to ignore it, not let her know how much it bothered me. "Fine. I'll be back later." She finally disappeared, and I sighed in relief.

I grabbed my keys and left, knowing I wouldn't, I _couldn't _be back tonight. I didn't need to reawaken my feelings for Arianna any more than I already had.

CPOV

I couldn't stand getting ready. Even though I had Diana helping me prepare, I was still nervous. What if the ring stopped working and he thought I was disgusting? What if he realized the truth behind my flirting? What if-

"Cassie." Diana brought me back to the present. "You have to stop worrying. You're going to be fine." She smiled encouragingly at me. "Especially when you look as amazing as you do now."

I turned to look in the mirror. Sexy, yet classy. At least that's what Diana had said.

"Thanks," I mumbled. I didn't feel anywhere near amazing, but hopefully the ring would help.

It was less than half an hour later when Darian knocked on my door. I ran to get it, hoping I could follow through with dinner.

As soon as I saw his smiling face, and the bouquet of flowers he was holding, I couldn't help but stare at his perfection. His enticing, night blue eyes were full of happiness, and I instantly felt guilt for what I was putting him through. It took another second to remember his dark nature and come to my senses.

"Hi," I smiled at him. I felt confidence travel through my body, and I stood up to my full height.

"Hello, Cassie," he said back smoothly. He held out the bouquet. "For you," he smiled. I took them happily. It had been a long time since I had gotten flowers from Adam. I felt a gaping hole in my chest. No matter what I felt for Darian, Adam was still my number one. My soulmate. And I was dying without him.

"Thank you," I finally said. "Hold on." I went into the kitchen and gave them to Diana, shushing her when she almost squealed. I hurriedly went back out to Darian. He was slowly trying to put his foot in the doorway, as if testing it for some sort of barrier. "All done," I said. His head snapped up, and he pulled his foot back extremely quickly, like a kid being caught in a cookie jar.

"Ready?" he smiled. I nodded, but I didn't take the arm he offered, fearing the feeling of death he gave to me. I could tell he was a little hurt, but he shook it off and put his arm down.

He was the perfect gentleman, helping me into the car, and for the second time that evening I felt that I was doing an awful thing. How could I deceive a man who couldn't possibly be harmful at all? In all my worrying I forgot that I had left the enchanted ring in my bathroom, leaving the entire night to chance.


	8. Revelations

CPOV

As soon as I realized I forgot the ring, I started to panic. What was I going to do without it? I had no idea how to seduce someone, and I was sure I wasn't even pretty enough to pull it off.

_Stop_, I told myself. I took a calming breath which earned an inquisitive glance from Darian.

"Don't be nervous," he told me with a small smile. I felt like he was holding back a laugh.

I glared at him. "I'm not nervous. I just…I forgot a piece of jewelry that belonged to my mother. I don't ever take it off, so I don't know where it is, and I'm worried." My glare had faded into a half scared grimace to which he smiled encouragingly.

"Well I think you shouldn't think about that until later because there's nothing you can do about it now. How about when we get back, I'll help you look for it?"

Now it was my turn to give him a confused stare. "You'd help me?"

"Sure." He smiled at me again, the one that made my stomach do flips. "Why wouldn't I?"

I nervously smiled back. "I don't know. Sorry."

"Don't apologize," he replied, still smiling. He turned onto a path I didn't recognize, one that I knew would take me far away from the town.

"Wait…where are we going, Darian?" I asked uncomfortably. This was not good…this could end badly….

"A hill up the way. I found it hiking yesterday and I thought it was perfect for a picnic dinner." He grinned. "You look like you're scared of getting eaten by something."

"No…of course not." I forced a smile.

"Don't worry," he told me. "I promise that I am the scariest thing out there." He grinned again, flashing his teeth at me. Was that a hint of something? I didn't know.

He parked at the top of his hill, and I could tell why he had fallen in love with it. It was perfectly green, not disrupted by any human activity. From it, there was a perfect view of the stars in all their bright glory. I got out of the car, staring at the yellow beams of light above me.

"Do you like it?" he asked quietly. I nodded in appreciation.

Darian held up a picnic basket. "Made it all myself," he smiled. "I hope you like it." I looked over at him and smiled. Genuinely smiled. How could someone so nice be so evil? I had to have been wrong about my premonition.

Darian spread out a blanket and all the food he prepared. I sat down next to him and brushed his hand, to test myself. There was nothing.

"Whoops…sorry." He smiled at me. "What would you like to start with, Cassie?"

I looked over all the food he had brought, astonished that he had spent so much time putting all this together. "Uhm…that. What is that?" I pointed at something I didn't recognize.

"Its just a soup. It's called _soupe dorée_." He smiled encouragingly. "You'll like it. I promise." He handed me a spoon. "Dig in."

The rest of dinner was him encouraging me to eat foods I had never really heard of. I thoroughly enjoyed every single one.

Later in the night, Darian and I laid down to stare at the stars. I felt connected to them, like they were helping me on my mission.

"Can I ask you something, Cassie?" Darian inquired rather quietly.

I looked at him. "Sure," I said. What harm could it do?

"You're different," he stated simply. "What makes you tick, Cassie Blake?"

I found myself staring at him. "Ex-excuse me?"

"Will you tell me why you're not like everyone else?" He stared right back at me, his innocent, dark eyes penetrating mine.

I stopped thinking. "I'm…witch," I squeaked.

His eyes widened. "Really?" He searched my eyes, as if to detect a lie. I simply nodded and swallowed nervously.

"Prove it," he murmured. Instantly, I lit the grass behind him on fire until we were surrounded by a circle of heat and flames.

He looked around him and started to panic. "Cassie…that's not a good idea…"

"Your turn," I told him. "What makes you 'tick', Darian Crespi?" I watched as he started coughing from the smoke. I could barely stop myself from heaving, also.

Darian looked like he was fighting a battle in his head. He looked directly into my eyes. "Cassie, if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even your little circle. And you have to promise not to kill me with this fire…" He quickly glanced around us again and then found my gaze once more. "Promise, Cassie."

I nodded. "Fine."

"Vampire," he exhaled. "I'm a vampire."


	9. Misunderstood?

CPOV

It took all the strength I had to keep my word to Darian after he confessed his true nature. Why should I when he was so obviously evil?

However, I thought of all the sweet things he had done and the evaporation of the death omen I experienced from his touch, and my resolve shattered. I put down the fire, staring at the heaving Darian as I did.

"I'm guessing fire can kill you," I stated calmly.

He glared at me, but the glare instantly turned soft. "Yes," he coughed out. A second later, he was perfectly fine, sitting up and looking at me. I watched him warily as he took me in.

"Why did you take me to the middle of nowhere, huh?" I asked, my voice getting louder and higher. I was scared beyond belief, but at least I knew his weakness: fire.

"Because when this first started, it was a romantic date, Cassie," he told me simply. "I never wanted to hurt you."

I sighed. "And how do I know you're not lying?" I questioned.

He gave me an incredulous look. "Really Cassie? I'm almost positive you have some sort of truth spell up your sleeve. Go ahead and use it on me."

I debated it for a second, then decided not to. He wasn't worth it. "Take me home," I murmured. "Just take me home."

"Cass…" he gave me a look that made my heart melt. "I'm sorry…"

My resolve almost shattered again, but I knew I needed to be alone. "Home, please." I started cleaning all the food up. He stared at me in silence for a moment, and then began to help. He probably realized that he couldn't force me to do anything and gave up. I held back a smirk.

Eventually he started doing things as fast as he could, a blur to me. In seconds, everything was picked up and clean.

Darian stood up. "Ready?" he asked quietly. I nodded. I just needed to be safe in my house. Or at Diana's house.

We drove home in silence. I could tell he was regretting telling me his true nature. I knew that I decided to tell Diana as soon as I got back to my house. But what would he do if he found out I broke my promise?

_I could care less_, I thought. I was a Blackwell. He should be trembling at _my _feet, not the other way around.

I glanced at him, and then I turned back to the window. I couldn't stare for too long. It scared me. However, it wasn't the disgust I felt that scared me. In fact, I wasn't disgusted at all. It was the warm feeling I felt when I looked at his saddened expression. I felt sympathetic toward him. I wanted to _help _him. And that was the scariest thing of all.

The car stopped in front of my house, and I immediately got out. I muttered a goodbye and sped into the comfort of my home. As soon as I got inside, I grabbed our phone and called Diana.

She answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

I tripped over my words, trying to relay information to her as quickly as possible. "Come over now because I found out about Darian and I'm scared because I don't even know and please just come over. Now."

Diana processed my words and then answered. "I'm coming," she responded. She hung up on me, and I waited impatiently for her arrival.

After a lot of pacing around my house, I heard a knock on my front door. I ran to get it, and met Diana's concerned look on the other side.

"Cassie," she said, sympathy dripping from the word.

I embraced her in a tight hug and began to let tears fall. I didn't even understand why I was crying, all I knew was that I was. Diana held me tightly, letting me cry into her.

"Shh…Cassie it's okay…." She kept muttering nonsense to me until I finally stopped crying.

I never told her what Darian was that night. I wasn't up to it. However, she did sleep over with me to keep me company. I knew I was going to need it.

I couldn't help but feel disgusted with my sympathy toward Darian. How could I feel bad for him? He was evil. It was as simple as that.

I knew it wasn't, though. If things were that black and white, I would be evil, too. That was our connection. We were misunderstood creatures, or so I hoped.

I finally fell asleep, thinking of Darian. _Maybe he was good_, I thought as the lights turned off in my mind. _Just maybe._


	10. Naïvete

DPOV

Arianna was waiting for me when I got home. I didn't want to talk to her at all because I knew in her eyes, I had failed. And when she figured that out…

"I gave you one rule," she said softly when I walked through to front door. "One. Keep your secret to yourself. And what did you do?"

"You were spying," I accused. Of course she was. She was everywhere I didn't want her to be.

"You had to know I would keep my eye on you," she chastised me. "So, obviously you have a death wish for Cassie. Now that she knows, I'm going to have to take her out."

I snarled at her. "No, Arianna."

She smiled evilly, knowing she had me exactly where she wanted me. "Or what? Are you offering up an alternative?"

I swallowed. "What do you want, Arianna?"

"Short term or long term?" she grinned. I could tell she was enjoying playing with me, especially when there was nothing I could do about it.

"_Arianna_," I snarled, ready to attack. I could feel my fangs popping out.

She laughed. "I want _Power_," she said. "I was going to kill Cassie either way, whether you helped me or not." Why was I not surprised? "You are still so naïve…" she grinned and walked toward me, letting her finger run down my chest. I took a step back.

"I will not let you end her, Arianna. You're going to have to go through me first." Why was I defending a witch? Why did I even care about Cassie?

"That's a good question," Arianna replied, reading my thoughts. "Why do you care about Cassie Blake? Does she make you feel _human_ again?" She laughed again, mocking my stand against her.

"She doesn't deserve to get killed," I replied softly.

"Well I'm going to anyway. Should I just do it, or should I play with my food first?"

"You should find better food," I told her.

"There _is _no better food! Don't you understand?" Now her fangs were showing. "I _need_ her. And I'm going to get her. Don't try and go against me. You'll lose." With that, she disappeared.

It took me a split second to decide that I needed to go find Cassie and warn her. I grabbed my car keys and drove back to her house as fast as I could, just needing to know she was safe from my ex-girlfriend psychopath.

* * *

CPOV

I woke up to a loud knocking at my door. I groaned and opened my eyes. Diana was still asleep, so I hurried to get the door before she was awoken, too.

Darian was at the door. "What the hell?" I questioned. "Its…2 AM and you're at my door?"

"You're in danger," he told me. "Please, let me come in."

"No," I retorted. Then I thought about my ideas…was he misunderstood or evil?

"Please," he pleaded. "There is someone after you, your Power. She wants to end you."

I had never seen such sincerity in someone's eyes before. I truly believed that he was looking out for me…but why?

"Why do you care?" I asked quietly.

"I don't know, to be honest. There's something about you…I tried to stand up to her and tell her to stop, but she's more powerful than I am. I needed to see if you were alright…"

I nodded. "Fine. Come in," I told him. He sighed with relief and walked into my house. I prayed to God I wasn't making a mistake.

"Who is this threat?" I asked.

He swallowed as if he was making a big decision about telling me. "Her name is Arianna," he said.

"Wait. New girl Arianna? The one you said you didn't know…?"

"I lied. We grew up together…we were turned together. That's a different story. The point is she's dangerous, and she wants your blood. All of it. And she's not going to stop until she gets it."

I nodded. "So. Does fire work on her, too?"

Darian nodded. "Yes. But she'll be anticipating every attack. She probably has whipped vampire minions to do her dirty work." He looked down as if embarrassed about something. It clicked.

"Were you…you were one of her…ohmygod," I said. "No. How can I trust you if you were working for her once?"

"I was working for her until after our date, Cassie. I wasn't supposed to tell you that I was a vampire…I was just supposed to get information about you. But there was something about you…"

"Get out!" I cried. This was not happening. I had just let in a man who was working for someone who was trying to kill me.

"I can't leave you…she'll find you and kill you…"

I conjured a ball of fire in my hand. "Out," I demanded. There way no way he was staying in my house.

His eyes widened in fear, and he stood up. "Ok…ok. Calm down…I really want to protect you. I swear."

"The problem is I don't believe you. So leave," I demanded again.

"Be careful. Please." With that, he disappeared.

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, and I let myself cry. I was such an idiot! Now he could always get inside my house…and kill me. Oh god, what had I done? I was going to die. I was going to die and there was no way around it.

I was going to tell the Circle everything tomorrow. We had to fight.


End file.
